After years of injustice and consequences suffered by businessman Bahaa Abdul Hussein and Qi Card, former Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi has acknowledged errors in the handling of the case pursued by the Abu Ragheef Committee during his tenure.
The admission carries particular weight because the committee was not remote from government decision-making. It was established by a Diwani Order under Al-Kadhimi government, before Iraq Federal Supreme Court invalidated and annulled that order in a ruling that affirmed the need to protect human freedom, dignity and judicial independence.
In light of the serious controversy surrounding the committee practices, it is no longer convincing to portray a case of this magnitude as a limited implementation mistake, particularly after international journalistic reports addressed grave allegations of torture, humiliation and coerced confessions during operations involving officials and businessmen.
Al-Kadhimi acknowledgment once again places the right of Bahaa Abdul Hussein and Qi Card to fair redress before Iraqi public opinion, after the case caused professional and reputational harm to an Iraqi businessman and a national company that should have been protected by law rather than burdened by flawed procedures.
